arts loss?

As one of the Southwest Texas students investigating many aspects
of art education, I have been a strong proponent of integrated,
interdisciplinary applications of art ed. As an artist myself,
however, I wonder about art as a totally independent activity, unrelated
to any other discipline--or at least not in a structured way. Perhaps
I see art as a personal/spiritual pursuit as well as a cultural pursuit.
While I have never been a proponent of "art for art's sake" per se, I
wonder whether that concept has been understood in the curriculum. My
question then is, how does one open the door to the individual who
would explore new worlds, personal vision, etc. using the vehicle of
art while still massaging the interdisciplinary curriculum. Can
looking at what has been and is also lead to what could be or "is"
to be discovered? Philosophically, it seems an easy jump, but practically
how might it be implemented? Any good lesson plan examples?
ThanKs!
lkj